Scenes from nightmares revolved around and around. It was difficult to say for how long. Gradually, his senses returned, the spinning ceased and James felt a hard surface underneath his feet again. The mist cleared, no not mist, more like a strangely smelling smoke and around him James realized that he stood in a clearing, surrounded by a dense group of trees. A roaring stream flowed by the site pouring downwards into a gap in the forest. Gazing upwards along the slope, James observed much sparser vegetation covering the hillside on upwards to a rocky ridge and ultimately, a glacier, contained within a range of mountains in the distance. The hot sun blazed overhead and unfamiliar scents surrounded him. A stiff breeze buffeted the scene.
Suddenly James noticed a pair of gnarled, bare feet apparently connected to someone buried in a pile of smouldering vegetation. He investigated to find a large older man garbed in cloaks of various shades of greens and browns passed out face down in the heap of dried herbs. Next to the injured man arose a large chair or throne, elaborately constructed and adorned with swirls, coils and snake like decorations. The entire structure was composed of living vines, and inset into the top of the throne was a very large glass lens. James stepped forward to assist the distressed man. With some difficulty James was able to turn him over and determine that despite being unconscious, the man was breathing properly and had no other obvious wounds, burn marks, or injuries. James propped up his head and made him as comfortable as was possible.
“Now what?” asked James, looking about the entirely unfamiliar scene and wondering how on earth he had arrived in this place? ‘Am I dreaming?’ wondered James. It did not seem so. He decided to investigate the surrounding area and called out, “Hello!” Nobody answered. As he walked about he realized that a good portion of what James had assumed to be dense forest was actually a sort of living structure of interlaced branches creating a dry and habitable space. Under this cover were tables, chairs, a bed, racks and racks of clay bottles and jars and further into the structure in the driest and most protected area, rows and rows of leather bound books. Some of these had the strangest titles James could imagine: Alfonse's Art of Plant Based Medicine, Elijah's’ Potions of Healing, Waldows’ Catalog of Desert Fungi, and Donet’s Encyclopedia of Patagonian Conifers. Many others were titled with a script that James was unable to recognize at all.
“Unbelievable,” thought James. “It is like something out of a movie about King Arthur. “Maybe this fellow is Merlin?” said James as he walked back to check on the still unconscious man.
Presently James became aware of a female voice emanating from the woods below. “Oooaaakleeaf!, Oooaaakleeaf!, Oh! Dearie me!” Exclaimed the young woman, surprised then apparently angry to have seen James. “Who are you!” she demanded, adding, “You better have done nothing to harm Mr. Gilderwood or you will be dealing with my hammer!” She appeared deadly serious especially when James took notice of the huge metal hammer which hung from her belt at her waist. The young woman detached the weapon and hoisted into the air with two hands, then strode purposefully towards James.
“Oh no! No! I have done nothing of the sort”, insisted James pointing towards the fallen man at the foot of the platform. “I just tried to make him comfortable.”
Mercifully this seemed to satisfy the girl and she lowered her weapon and set it aside. James took note of her long flowing golden hair and the fact that she was clothed in thick scarlet robes trimmed with wide bands of white fabric. ‘It might be some sort of elaborate nun’s habit,’ he thought, but reconsidered, and asked himself, ‘What about that hammer?’ It was all very confusing. As he looked closely, he noticed delicately woven mail armor of some sort, actually incorporated into her clothing. Steel, it appeared. She scowled at James angrily, when she noticed James’s gaze linger, too long apparently, for her tastes.
“He’s cast powerful magic”, she explained and then attempted to comfort the man. I have found Mr. Gilderwood like this before. Whenever he is attempting a particularly dangerous incantation he seems to make sure that I am not here to stop him. Oh! Dearie, dearie me Mr. Gilderwood, what have ye done to yerself this time?” lamented the young lady.
The beautiful girl in the strange nuns’ habit rose to her feet and inspected things more closely, paying particular attention to the large pile of smoldering herb remnants. Suddenly she came to a realization. “He’s summoned you, hasn’t he?” she asked.
Before James could answer the distressed wizard emitted a pair of weak coughs and began to regain consciousness. The girl moved to his side immediately. “Are you alright Sir? Can I do anything for ye?”
“Has he answered the summons?” asked the wizard as he lay at the foot of the platform, and turning his gaze towards James he smiled and continued. “Ah, James! You are indeed with us. Thank you for answering my call. It honors us to be in your presence.” The words appeared to have a significant effect on the girl as she looked upon him with a newfound respect. “Dear Celeste, would you please assist me to my feet. I need to spend some time on my throne.”
“Of course Sir,” and the young woman slung his arm over her shoulder and began to guide him up the stairs and onto the platform. James sprung up to assist clumsily with his other arm but wasn’t much help.
Awkwardly, Oakleaf settled into the enormous chair. Astonishingly the vines cushioned and form fitted to the large man’s frame eventually wrapping him in a rapidly growing all encompassing cocoon. Oakleaf sighed, apparently much more comfortable under his blanket of vegetation and formed a request for Celeste, “Dear girl, please accompany Master James to the Summit of the Elders. Assist him in any way that is possible. James is not of our world. Observe the progress of the Accursed One and I will join you as soon as I am able.”
“Yes Sir!” responded Celeste and immediately took James’s hand to lead him away from the scene, grabbing her hammer and reattaching it to her belt. The unlikely couple stepped down off the platform and onto the pathway which led upwards along the banks of the bubbling stream, towards the foot of the glacier.
The trail began steeply up the slope then turned abruptly, forming the first in a series of switchbacks climbing inexorably through well spaced trees which appeared heavily modified by wind and weather. Much of the root masses of these trees were exposed above ground as they struggled to maintain their grip on the thin soils and large rocks that covered the hillside. Higher and higher they climbed and James had difficulty matching Celeste’s pace. Near the summit Celeste noticed this and slowed allowing James to catch up. “We are almost there young James”, and moments later Celeste extended her hand and assisted James up the last few steps literally carved into the stone. “This, be the Summit of the Elders”, stated Celeste with reverence in her voice. Again, swirls and snake emblems decorated the rock which surrounded the flat stone summit. The view into the valley was panoramic. “It is a place of great power, Master James. The Winds of Taubra blow swiftly here. The trees we passed on the way up are the oldest in the known world. Their seedlings grew when the Ancient Ones walked the earth!”
You could be reading stolen content. Head to Royal Road for the genuine story.
A steep scree slope fell away below them terminating in the floor of the valley at least 1000 meters below. To the west a large river meandered through a large grass and crop covered landscape. Scattered groves of trees interrupted flat terrain, especially numerous near the banks of the river. A significant town grew up at the junction of the stream flowing down from the Oakleaf Gilderwood site and the river. In the town were dozens of homes and buildings including what appeared to be a twin towered medieval Cathedral. Deployed to the north of the town appeared to be large groups of men, kicking up dust with their movements. First one then another and another huge blue and white banners were raised, flags fluttering in the breeze. Towards the north James observed dark storm clouds approaching. An enormous bolt of green lightning flashed within the maelstrom.
“He has arrived,” said Celeste gravely. “Sir James. How is it that you plan to resist The One Who Cannot be Slain?”
“I have no idea”, replied James as four more tremendous bolts of green energy struck the ground. James stood wondering just how it was he had arrived in such a predicament. It was very much like a real life scene from the game he had just purchased, wherever on earth that was now.
Presently, the approaching hordes crested a ridge and James could make out groups of the invaders. Most were men packed tightly in groups, but some were obviously mounted cavalry of some sort, armor glinting in the sun which still dominated the field of view. At one point in the line a huge hairy elephant plodded forward topped by some sort of howdah. Large banners of dark and gruesome colors appeared at regular intervals along the line. Two large machines of some description, perhaps they were large guns, dominated the line with their colossal size. The storm clouds brought up the rear, framing the army, in a most sinister way.
Looking back at the town's defenses, anxious preparations were being made. A large cannon was being dug in, on top of a low rise immediately below James and Celeste. A group of horsemen, each carrying a large multi-barreled gun in his hands, galloped towards the cannon emplacement. When they stopped, an animated discussion took place, eventually resulting in the cavalry taking up a position at the extreme right of the town’s line of defense. Another cannon was visible in the middle of a group of trees and at least five large groups of men, all dressed in variations of blue and white formed a tenuous line stretching out as far as James could see to the west. Two large groups of cavalry milled about, forming into an organized unit, immediately behind the line of infantry. Next, James’s eye caught a glimpse of a large machine of some kind, resembling a primitive tank, belching smoke and steam into the air while it trundled up towards the line, right next to the forest emplaced cannon.
A huge burst of smoke, forming a giant smoke ring, bellowed out the barrel of the cannon closest to James and Celeste. Seconds later, a vast roar reached their ears. James could actually see the metal ball arch upwards and bounce just short of the giant elephant, striking him in the knee cap and causing the howdah to sway dangerously close to toppling, before the animal caught its balance and righted itself. More explosions dotted the line, followed by more roars. Cavalry fell in two places and large explosions blew big holes in two infantry formations of the invading army. Two more large explosions fell harmlessly in the middle of a vacant cornfield. Suddenly a huge blast which dwarfed all those that had taken place so far, shook the Summit of the Elders and everywhere else. Debris and tree branches from the cannon positioned in the grove of trees rose into the air leaving no survivors from the crew that had stood there seconds before. A huge belch of steam flew upwards into the air and the steam powered war engine advanced forward. This seemed to be a signal for a general advance along the line. All troops marched or galloped forward with great enthusiasm.
The advancing army answered with powerful shots of their own. Huge glowing green balls flew forward, some falling harmlessly but others crashing into units with fearsome power. One small group of men retreated to the cover of a copse of trees covering from the onslaught. “Oh dear, Thoedor save us!” called out Celeste as both she and James observed a portion of one of the church towers break off and tumble to the earth raising a large cloud of windblown dust.
Far below the Summit of Elders a group of young women clad in much the same manner as Celeste emerged from the forest. Each clung to a large warhammer. James noted that most had discarded baskets and tools as they entered the battlefield, and their point of departure seemed to be a cultivated field of some sort of crop. Indeed, as James’s gaze focused on the area it seemed as though several different plantings adorned a series of terraced beds that were built into the side mountainside. The women had been tending these crops, but it seemed as if they were capable of fighting also.
Suddenly a dominating voice cried out, “In the name of Theodor Von Braun!!!!!” It was Oakleaf, risen from his healing bed and rejuvenated with a green glow of absolute power. Winds swirled about him and mist from the stream infused the air surrounding the old man, as he charged up the trail to join Celeste and James at the summit. “I hope that I am not too late!” cried Oakleaf Giderwood as he surveyed the situation below and began to mutter strange words, unintelligible to James, which rose in volume until a bubble of pure power appeared to surround the wizard. A gust of wind almost blew James from his position at the edge of the cliff and the bubble of power departed swiftly into the valley engulfing the young women, transforming their crimson robes into a bark like suits of armor, still flexible, but much more protective than the cloth. The unit of hammer armed, bark armored women advanced towards a group of charging, huge and malformed war dogs, hideous in appearance. Hammer met snarling canines causing considerable carnage. Hounds that looked as if they were meant to guard the gates of hell fell, skulls caved in and chest cavities crushed. Not a single woman wavered, and they appeared single minded in their determination to defeat the foul beasts. Blood spattered their bark exteriors, and not all of it from the hounds.
Horns sounded, drawing James’s attention from the desperate plight of the women. The knights were charging the war beast which looked to be more like a mammoth than an elephant now that it was closer. Warped men, twisted and evil in their appearance manned the howdah, throwing spears and what appeared to be throwing axes at the charging cavalry. The impact into the beast’s gigantic legs shook the beast so severely, five men toppled to the ground, and were trampled to death by the horses. At first the titan withstood the pressure, at one point stomping two of the knights while emitting a thunderous roar, but the second and third ranks plowed into the beast immediately following the first. It was too much. The howdah careened at an impossible angle and keeled over crushing the squat statured crew members of one of the cannonade like war machines which had been chained to huge iron stakes. With the crew dead and the stakes uprooted by the mammoth’s impact, the impossible happened and the machine propelled itself violently in a circular motion, rotating and then accelerating forward where it collided head on with the steam belching tank, blowing itself up against the knife edged iron frontal armor. The resulting mushroom cloud of foul gray-green smoke rose from the battle and drifted towards the Summit of the Elders.
“Cover your mouth and nose with clothing!” shouted Oakleaf. “Do not breathe the vapors directly!” and once again he rapidly chanted a series of unintelligible oddly intoned words. A sphere of shimmering energy arose from the stone to surround the three summit occupants.
While squatting down with the neck of his sweater pulled up in a desperate attempt to avoid the vaporous cloud approaching him James looked up, only to see two enormous demonic eyes staring directly at him from the inside of the advancing cloud. The sulfurous smoke broke apart where it contacted the sphere. Screaming permeated the air from all directions and the demon shaped image melted before them. Acidic globs of black vitriol spattered the landscape around the sphere, which itself disappeared once the demon was no more. James noted that the corrosive globs actually burned holes into the stone where they had landed.
The trio removed their makeshift masks and rose up to observe the progress of the battle. The forces of Chaos were in full retreat. Carnage filled the valley below. The only fighting which remained consisted of squads of cavalry running down stragglers who had fallen behind the main body of retreating warriors. The results of the battle, even from this distance, appeared catastrophic. James had no desire to get any closer than he was to the maimed bodies and destroyed engines of war. His trauma was complete and he was immobilized by the shock of what he had witnessed.
“Observe!” exclaimed Oakleaf, pointing towards a section of forest at the base of the mountain a league or more along the edge of the battlefield in the direction of the retreating army. “There is more to this battle than a clash of armies I shall wager! A unit of elite troops entered those woods, accompanied by Gloamanthal himself, and they did not re-enter the battlefield. No Chosen ever avoided battle for poultry reasons. Something more important than victory lies within those trees. We will investigate exactly what took place there forthwith.” Oakleaf cast his gaze east towards the destroyed valley and continued, ”Alas, first we must venture onto the battlefield. Hours of work remain for us there. Wizards who study the Lore of Life are often shunned during battle, but none is more welcome on a battlefield once the fighting is done. Come you two, we have many lives to save.”
Oakleaf Gilderwood began his descent down the trail leading to the floor of the valley. Celeste and James followed him. James wondered just what horrors awaited them.